Chapter 119: The Game of Devouring Desire

Wen Xishu read quite a few posts from other players.

Those from Baby-Faced Wolf, Ye Lingfeng, Tokugawa Dahe, and Tam.

These people seemed to have sunk deep into their desires, unable to extricate themselves.

Wen Xishu also felt more and more that—the devouring had already begun.

Everyone was like someone who had fallen into a living world, beginning to slowly lose their way.

……

……

Tam had indeed encountered some trouble.

At the very beginning of the game, one only needed six points of asset value to obtain the hidden class, Overlord.

For Tam, this was incredibly tempting; his desire was to become a hegemon of a region.

In prison, Tam was often bullied, but he also occasionally bullied others.

The strong swing their blades at the even stronger, while the weak, once bullied, only seek out those even weaker to vent their frustrations.

For a very long time, Tam had internally craved respect, his own power, money, status, and beautiful women.

When he saw the hidden option, his first reaction was that it was practically designed for him!

In this game, I am the chosen one.

So, without any hesitation, Tam spent six points of asset value in the shop to redeem the Overlord class.

He didn't think at all about why a zombie apocalypse game would have a class with such a distinctly different art style from the others.

Tam quickly acquired a group of underlings—followers he had once dreamed of but never had, suddenly appearing.

The Overlord even had his own starting territory. His underlings were one by one vigorous and fierce; they were simply too strong, and upon seeing zombies, they were even more excited than the zombies were upon seeing humans.

But soon, Tam discovered that his weapon was broken.

How could he manage without a gun? In this world rampant with monsters, the underlings by his side could not possibly submit to someone without a weapon.

An Overlord must have a gun, a weapon capable of intimidating others.

And so, at this moment, a prompt appeared.

【Great Overlord, possessor of the hidden class, you only need to spend thirty points of asset value to own a Desert Eagle with infinite ammo. Its power is immense, and all your underlings will be forced to fear your weapon. When you hold it, you are the King of Wind City!】

Thirty points of asset value was not a small amount; when he wanted to redeem it, he discovered he didn't have thirty points of asset value at all.

Tam's six points of asset value were still what he had obtained from his previous exploration of the Slaughter Tower.

After painstakingly exploring the Slaughter Tower several times, Tam had ultimately only received a value assessment of "twelve points of asset value."

At the start of the game, Tam had already thoroughly enjoyed the thrill of being an Overlord; it was simply too satisfying. He commanded his underlings to charge into battle, Laozi bullied whoever he wanted, beat up whoever he didn't like, and even the dogs on the side of the road had to yelp twice before they could pass when they saw Laozi.

But now, only a short while into the game, just as he had gotten hooked, a crisis emerged.

【If you have no weapon, you will lose your current status. You may choose a new class. Good luck.】

Actually, from this moment on, the "game" had given Tam a second chance.

But Tam did not seize this opportunity; Tam shouted at the void:

"Didn't you say everything could be quantified! Is there nothing on me that can be exchanged for 24 points of assets!"

After saying this, Tam actually received a response. Perhaps it was because of Tam as a person, who would actually interpret tasks and think about the rewards described in the tasks.

In Tam's eyes, a new prompt appeared.

【Are you willing to trade five years of your lifespan for 200 points of asset value? Of course, if you have outstanding performance in the game and defeat powerful enemies, you can also withdraw your asset value. Minimum withdrawal amount: 500.】

Five years? 200?

Tam felt that he still had a long life ahead of him, and this game could also earn asset value, so he chose to redeem it almost without hesitation.

At this moment, Tam's asset value became 206 points.

For a weapon with infinite ammo, Tam paid happily; even so, Tam still had 176 points left.

But subsequently, in the process of competing for power, he relied on this pistol to take down several territories, and the underlings under him also had a temporary shelter.

And there were even beautiful women throwing themselves at him. In a certain sense, Tam was living much better than Wen Xishu on the other side of Wind City.

But everything brought by "pay-to-win" also required paying more to maintain.

Tam enjoyed the admiration of women and the loyalty of his underlings, but soon a greater crisis appeared.

A sniper actually appeared on the opposite side. Tam's territory was attacked by a sniper holding military-grade weapons. The opponent's firepower was exceptionally fierce, armed almost to the teeth.

Tam had no choice but to pay for a rocket launcher.

He proudly showed off in the chat interface that he already possessed a large-scale weapon like a rocket launcher.

Tam defeated the enemy once again.

But next, mutated zombies began to besiege Tam, and even more beautiful women waited for Tam to rescue them.

Stronger underlings, fiercer enemies, more exquisite and luxurious residences...

Everything was waiting for Tam to conquer, to obtain, to plunder!

Tam's asset value was soon insufficient; 128 asset value could get an armed helicopter, and 648 asset value could get ten consecutive draws of top-tier equipment.

Tam's asset value was insufficient, and this time he applied to sacrifice his lifespan again with almost no hesitation.

But unfortunately, Tam's lifespan application was rejected. It wasn't that Tam's lifespan wasn't enough; the response Tam received was this:

【The value of your lifespan has decreased.】

This was actually another reminder from the game: if you follow the game's rhythm, then you and everything you obtain are constantly depreciating.

On one hand, the game was giving appropriate reminders, but on the other hand, the game was constantly devouring Tam.

The beautiful women were almost like the "white moonlight" Tam had encountered on the third floor of the bunker many years ago, completely customized according to the points Tam liked.

How could Tam not pay?

The underlings also expressed their willingness to fight to the death, indicating they were willing to become the Emperor of Wind City for Tam and attack the fortress filled with monsters and powerful enemies.

How could Tam not pay?

He finally began to pay heavily, sacrificing his luck, potential, lifespan—in short, everything that could be sacrificed.

"As long as I become the Emperor of Wind City, I will be able to take back everything I lost."

Tam began to pay.

The game also accepted Tam's sacrifice and redemption.

At this moment, Tam became a true hegemon, and his strength began to crush his enemies. After paying, -9999 damage appeared over the heads of all the zombies.

His underlings were also loyal, each one brave and skilled in battle. The beautiful women he had conquered also expressed their willingness to be his younger sisters; a man like Tam should have a harem, should have three wives and four concubines.

After paying, at least in terms of satisfaction, Tam was truly satisfied.

Tam also finally became the Emperor of Wind City; logically speaking...

He should be the savior, as he was already invincible under heaven.

But at this time, a task appeared.

【Enemies from beyond the sky, forces from Water City and Fire City, have already set their sights on you. They want to eliminate you and take away everything you have.】

Tam's heart skipped a beat.

This... how did this game open a new map again?

At this time, Tam had not yet realized that his game content, aside from wearing the skin of a "zombie apocalypse," had actually completely gone off track.

Waiting for Tam were still only two choices.

Accept failure, return to the time when he had nothing, and then start the game over.

Of course, after restarting, you will lose the "fate," "potential," and "lifespan" paid during transactions.

Or, you can find a way to pay more and defeat the enemy. A larger-scale "Emperor."

Tam actually vaguely sensed that something was wrong, but he couldn't get off the ride.

Not long after, Tam began to ask for help.

It was also at this time that Wen Xishu and the others received the message sent by Tam:

【Tam: Who among you has asset value, lend me some! This 6480 asset value pack, if I pay for it, I will be the savior! I've bet all my assets into it; when I get back, I'll pay you all back! I'm about to dominate this world!】

No one responded.

Because no one had any spare asset value.

Wen Xishu didn't have the function to pay at all. As for the others who did, some were extremely cautious, while others had fallen into the same situation as Tam.

Baby-Faced Wolf and the domineering CEO Ye Lingfeng were the same.

Both were also addicted to the roles they were playing; one had become a doomsday merchant, dreaming the dream of unifying the doomsday business world.

Fantasizing about being able to build a doomsday commercial capital step by step.

In this process, Ye Lingfeng truly realized his own value, relying on paying to bring in more and more commodity transport rights and trading rights.

But he also constantly fell into various dilemmas; if he didn't pay, he would lose everything and have nothing.

In his mind, those business wars that fit his stereotypes erupted repeatedly.

When it came time to need the 648 asset value gift pack, Ye Lingfeng also began to redeem everything he had.

Baby-Faced Wolf was no better off. He was an urban soldier king, and his game experience was playing someone who knew about the "martial arts world" that ordinary people didn't know.

He wanted to pursue martial arts, seek true invincibility under heaven; he liked the feeling of self-admiration, of everyone being drunk while he alone was sober.

He always made remarks similar to "I have already seen through everything," "I have already mastered everything," shaping his own awesomeness. In reality, he was afraid of loneliness and just craved attention.

The "game," which deeply understood his desires, began to shape the subsequent plot according to the way he liked.

Baby-Faced Wolf began to guard this city, secretly defeating various people who tried to destroy it.

At the same time, it would make most people misunderstand him, but also arrange for a very small number of people to constantly flatter him to satisfy his vanity.

Although Wen Xishu really hoped these two fools could survive...

But Wen Xishu only felt that these two clowns were a source of amusement. Whether they could survive was not for him to decide.

He was very clear on one point: this is the Trick Tower, and here, no matter what method one uses to "collect their lunchbox," or how vastly different their styles may be, it is all normal.

At this very moment, Child-Face Wolf and Ye Lingfeng had not yet reached the final step.

But Tam had already begun his final, desperate gamble.

[Are you willing to use everything you have to obtain the final resources? You can possess power far beyond what you had before; your underlings will become incomparably loyal, you will have women who understand your inner heart better, and more luxurious territories from Water City, Fire City, Thunder City, and Earth City await your conquest.]

[We will loan you 100,000 asset points. You can squander them as you please. As long as you are willing, you can complete the contract now.]

The eerie game began to devour the first person lost in desire.

These two prompts were just like all loan advertisements; they tell you that loans are easy, effortless, and that the software makes repayment very convenient.

It does not show whether you will be able to plan your money carefully after suddenly becoming wealthy, or what you will lose when you cannot repay it.

Tam was also completely unaware of these things. He only thought of the 100,000 asset points.

"6,480 asset points are enough to become the Emperor of Wind City, so 100,000... I will be the master of the world!"

Tam's message seeking to borrow asset points did not receive a response from anyone.

But this prompt to loan 100,000 asset points instantly gave him confidence.

[Tam: You trash, as long as I am here, you cannot become the savior. How many divisions does the savior have? I am already the Emperor of Wind City; you will regret your indifference.]

Tam accepted the deal.

It was also at this moment that Wen Xishu, Child-Face Wolf, Ye Lingfeng, Blind Man, Tokugawa Dahe, Kate, and Zhang Hai all suddenly received a prompt.

The avatar belonging to "Overlord Tam" had gone dim.

[Game update: Large-scale zombies and nests have appeared in the northern part of Wind City. Zombie leader evolution level: Baron. The leader possesses weapons and powerful firepower. Danger level: Ten Skulls.]

The others did not know what had happened. But they guessed that since Tam's avatar had gone dim, perhaps Tam was dead?

Wen Xishu did not believe that Tam, who had issued such arrogant remarks, would die immediately.

At this point in time, Wen Xishu was preparing to trigger the next mission.

But after receiving the prompt that Tam had gone offline and the game had updated, Wen Xishu suddenly had a feeling that the two were connected.

"Could this game have... turned Tam into a zombie?"

"Baron, it seems to be a highly evolved zombie. Possessing weapons and strong firepower... I remember Tam was bragging earlier about the rocket launcher he exchanged for with 98 asset points..."

The more Wen Xishu thought about it, the more alarmed he became.

Although in a sense, if these people died, their assets would become his.

But Wen Xishu was not sure how this method of death would be calculated.

"Could this game actually devour players in the bunker and turn them into a part of the game?"

If they had already become a part of the game, would their assets still exist after they died?

In the Violet Garden residential complex, Wen Xishu, inside the villa, did not immediately start the mission, but instead stroked his chin and began to ponder the game's situation.

"The Four Evils of the Mad Dice allows me to receive the Three-Tower assets of my teammates after they die... these assets naturally include Three-Tower attributes, sequences, items, and so on."

"But if Tam's death is related to the prompt about the appearance of the Baron, then can I assume that in order to exchange for asset points, Tam sold himself to the game and became a part of it?"

"In that case, Tam's asset points have effectively been eaten clean by the game."

"Then if Tam dies, I should get nothing."

Wen Xishu's thinking was that it was fine for you all to die; after all, I have the Four Evils, and your deaths benefit me. At most, I won't kill you with my own hands, but let you die in the game yourself.

Therefore, in this game, except for the Blind Man who was bent on seeking death from the start, Wen Xishu did not intend to save anyone.

He only saved the Blind Man symbolically, thinking to himself that the Blind Man was going to die eventually anyway.

This was Wen Xishu's line of thought.

But now, he realized that the game was a bit off.

"This game is like a predator. Anyone who spends money is easily immersed in their own fantasies. Then they are slowly sucked dry and reduced to a part of the game."

"I don't care if they live or die, but since they are going to die anyway... why can't they die in a way that is valuable to me?"

Thinking of this, Wen Xishu decided to express some of his own views.

[Wen Xishu: Everyone, Tam has become a part of the game.]

[Ye Lingfeng: What are you talking about? Wasn't he bitten to death by zombies?]

[Child-Face Wolf: I always know more than you, but you can continue.]

[Zhang Hai: Brother Wen, tell us, what mission are you on now?]

[Kate: What do you mean? What do you mean by 'part of the game'?]

Wen Xishu then stated his previous guess.

Although he did not know what Tam had experienced, Wen Xishu could weave a story.

Based on Tam's statements, he deduced step-by-step the process of Tam constantly becoming stronger, his threshold for satisfaction rising, his sunk costs increasing, and finally, Tam getting himself trapped.

[Wen Xishu: That is roughly it. So if you are in some kind of dilemma, I suggest it is best not to easily use your asset points. Based on my experience in the Trick Tower, the biggest characteristic of the Trick Tower is that it is eerie.]

[All the rules are like living things. This game is the same. I don't know if your game is still heading in the previous direction, but for me, it is still apocalypse survival.]

The others were silent.

Child-Face Wolf and Ye Lingfeng sneered at Wen Xishu's answer.

[Ye Lingfeng: I am now a regional general agent. The goods in my warehouse are all genuine and exist in reality.]

[Ye Lingfeng: The water I drink lowers my thirst value, the food I eat lowers my hunger value, and I have various entertainment products to regulate my mood. You tell me this is fake? That this is the game trying to devour me? You don't understand business at all.]

[Child-Face Wolf: You think you are on the fifth floor, but you don't know I am in the atmosphere. You only see the surface, but you don't know what I am carrying.]

Wen Xishu discovered that people are indeed fickle. At first, he had hoped these two clowns would survive.

But now Wen Xishu felt, do whatever you want.

However, among this group, there were also those who greatly surprised Wen Xishu.

[Zhang Hai: It's shameful to say, but after spending thirty asset points, I never spent any more. Money is hard to earn and shit is hard to eat. I feel that what these thirty asset points brought me is already very good. I am also fighting zombies now, and I am already in a shelter. There are always pay-to-win missions asking me to conquer the shelter, but I have refused them all. Brother Wen, I think you are right!]

Wen Xishu really did not expect that the fitness coach Zhang Hai was someone who had overcome desire.

He found it incredible. The game had been reading everyone's data from the very beginning.

Although he did not know why he did not possess assets and could not spend money, for the others, the results read out seemed quite accurate.

Whether it was Tam who liked to be the boss, Ye Lingfeng who liked to be a tycoon, or Child-Face Wolf who liked to be a lone wolf.

[Zhang Hai: For me, there are always prompts popping up, asking me to use power to conquer this place, but I actually... just want to find a place to lie flat, survive for seven days, and then return to the bunker to collect merit points.]

[Kate: Same here, I spent even less than Zhang Hai. I only did the first recharge of six yuan. I work as a porter just to save money, and I came to the Trick Tower to earn money, but the Trick Tower won't let me earn money and instead makes me spend it. What kind of logic is that?]

Originally, Wen Xishu was still thinking about what reason caused the "game" to judge incorrectly. But based on Kate's statement, he seemed to understand a little why Kate and Zhang Hai were able to "escape unscathed."

Both had other desires, and the game had indeed read their desires.

But Zhang Hai and Kate were people who had been beaten down by life. You can let me satisfy various dreams in the game, and I don't mind topping up for a membership or getting a hidden class; after all, if this game isn't completed, it will cost me my life.

But you, damn it, are endless, constantly making me spend money and eating my savings—what is the meaning of that?

I have no money, but I have one life. Live or die, I'm going to die without money anyway.

A worker's obsession with money actually surpassed the game's deep-level scan of desire.

Did Zhang Hai and Kate have ideals and dreams? Did they have those vulgar or elegant wishes?

They did. But after being beaten down by life, they no longer talked about these things. Money is the most important thing.

Thinking of this, Wen Xishu suddenly felt that this game was quite interesting.

Those who are willing to spend money might die in the game and be reduced to a part of it.

But those who are unwilling to spend money are instead able to gradually return to the true meaning of the game.

[Wen Xishu: Good luck to you, you are doing well. I hope you can successfully survive until the game ends.]

Wen Xishu was sincere. He really did not expect that Zhang Hai and Kate had actually kept their original intentions. Sure enough, being poor is far more terrifying than not being strong enough in the game.

Wen Xishu now had only one question, and that was which of the overbearing CEO or the chuunibyou youth would die first, or rather, be reduced to a part of the game.

Violet Garden, inside the villa.

Wen Xishu opened the prelude to the next mission in the second-floor lounge.

A villa with good food, drink, and lodging is always temporary; the game is always waiting for the player to advance.

After Duan Donghuo's radio station was set up, it had not received any messages, but as soon as Wen Xishu approached, the message came.

"Friends in Wind City, we have detected a massive zombie tide approaching from the north, including giant zombies, radiation zombies, and witch zombies! Their numbers are unimaginable, and they seem to have gained consciousness and are approaching Wind City."

"No matter how much confidence you have in your residence! We suggest you hurry to the shelter. In the shelter, we have militarized defensive capabilities! The apocalypse is not scary; let all humans unite!"

"If you are still troubled by supplies and are living a precarious life... please head to the shelter. The shelter's location is at..."

Next was the detailed location of the shelter, and Wen Xishu discovered that his Luo Pan was also spinning at this time.

"Setting aside whether the intelligence about the zombie tide attack is true or not. But this news really came at the right time."

"As a game player, after successfully accepting two missions and completing two missions, one has likely already learned the style of this game."

"The shelter likely hides a greater evil. This is also the eternal theme of all apocalypse survival games and movies—people are more terrifying than zombies."

"I wonder if there will be any new tricks this time."

Wen Xishu began to pack his luggage. He did not store too many supplies because he couldn't carry much anyway.

Wen Xishu only scavenged the bullets in the house and set off with his pistol.

On the way to the shelter, Wen Xishu did not hide his strength.

He tested it; the power of the Extreme Kick combined with the Murder Soccer Ball was such that once the Extreme Kick was activated and struck the ball, its force could easily pierce through a load-bearing concrete wall.

Wen Xishu was very satisfied with this result. All fear stems from a lack of firepower. With the Extreme Kick and the Murder Soccer Ball, he was confident in facing the witch.

Along the way, Wen Xishu killed quite a few zombies. Because he possessed the ability to sense zombies and his marksmanship and combat skills had improved, Wen Xishu was always able to precisely find advantageous positions.

The shelter was in the city center. It could be called the core of the core area. In the city center of Fengcheng, there was an aerial fortress. The fortress was built atop a seventy-story building.

This skyscraper, originally named the Golden Building, was a landmark in the game's lore.

Before the apocalypse arrived, this building housed the most luxurious hotels and various entertainment venues, and many influencers loved to come here to take photos and check in.

All the decor here was permeated by two words—high-class.

It was said that a mysterious tycoon had bought the entire building a few months before the apocalypse descended and had carried out militarized renovations on the top few floors.

Looking at it now, this tycoon seemed exactly like a reincarnator.

This information came from Wen Xishu's friend—Blindie.

The war correspondent Blindie, after weeping side-by-side with the witch for a long time, seemed to have vented his emotions; thinking that since he couldn't die, he might as well give Wen Xishu some information.

Wen Xishu's true thoughts were known only to Wen Xishu himself.

But to Blindie, Wen Xishu's actions were indeed saving everyone.

[Blindie: What is your current mission, Wen Xishu.]

[Wen Xishu: Heading to the aerial shelter in the city center; do you have any clues about this place?]

So, Blindie recounted the situation of this place.

Blindie also offered some of his own guesses and additions.

[Blindie: The advantage of a war correspondent is knowing about this place from the start, but I feel that it might not be as good as you imagine.]

[Wen Xishu: Don't worry, I have a plan. By the way, have you figured things out?]

What Wen Xishu was actually asking was whether Blindie had regained his will to live.

But Blindie did not answer.

At this moment, Blindie's experiences were also quite interesting, but let's set that aside for now.

At this time, Ye Lingfeng and Child-Face Wolf were actually immersed in their own worlds. As for Blindie, Zhang Hai, and Kate, they had all observed carefully, especially Zhang Hai.

He had asked about the Wen Xishu ID matter at the time.

His first reaction was, of course, disbelief, thinking it was just another imitator. But what was different this time compared to the past was... as soon as you chatted, you could see the name.

Wen Xishu's recent remarks also allowed several people to see Wen Xishu's name frequently.

Zhang Hai was certain he hadn't misread it; this was indeed Wen Xishu. It was exactly the same as the owner's name he had seen in the Shipwreck Cabin on the second floor.

This point, in fact, had also been discovered by Blindie and Kate.

However, interestingly, none of the three spoke up; all three pretended they hadn't recognized him.

Blindie didn't care; as someone who was going to die anyway, it didn't matter if you were a bunker legend or a bunker pawn—it wouldn't change the fact that I was going to die.

Zhang Hai, on the other hand, felt that there was no need to force anything; as long as you performed well enough, the big shot would naturally be willing to carry you.

He worked as a fitness coach precisely because he didn't like to suck up to big shots, which was why his performance was always poor.

Kate was much the same; his life was the most bitter among them all, and he had gradually developed a personality that didn't rely on others.

In short, all three remained silent. However, Zhang Hai and Kate both understood one thing: that whatever Wen Xishu said had to be remembered carefully, as it was very likely the key to clearing the level.

Therefore, no matter how tempting the pay-to-win items were later, one must absolutely not pay! One must not end up like Tam, becoming a part of the game.

……

……

On Wen Xishu's side, after learning some of the game's background, he began to climb the Golden Building.

The Golden Building lived up to its reputation as the most luxurious skyscraper; the floor area of each level was quite massive.

Every floor was also filled with danger, with large numbers of zombies occupying the levels. This building was also a rare seven-skull-rated structure.

Out of the seventy floors, apart from the top few that had strong defenses, the sixty-plus floors below were all packed with zombies.

The number of zombies was more than ten times that of the previous Violet Garden.

Wen Xishu kept killing zombies along the way.

After killing thirty zombies, Wen Xishu finally finished all the prologue plot for the mission and triggered the real mission.

[Please choose the mission you wish to accept.]

[Mission One: Fight for Freedom.]

[Mission Two: Turn the Tables.]

Wen Xishu was no longer a stranger to this kind of blunt selection system. This time, the game gave Wen Xishu fifteen seconds to choose, which also gave him ample time to think.

"Slaves of freedom... let me guess what exactly is in this building."

"Generally speaking, by the third mission, the game shouldn't just be a humanity test without plot progression; it has to involve the main quest, right?"

"According to the intelligence Blindie gave me, this place was converted into a militarized defensive stronghold three months before the apocalypse descended."

"This is indeed something a transmigrator could do, but there shouldn't be such a transmigrator setting in the game, otherwise the choice of savior wouldn't be given to the players."

"And this mission is likely related to the invitation letter, and the game's theme is about creating a savior. A savior must, of course, save the world... saving the world likely won't involve killing every single zombie; that workload would be too massive."

"And did the owner of this building know long ago that the apocalypse would descend, which is why they specifically built a shelter?"

Wen Xishu seemed to have some answers in his heart. This time, he chose Mission Two—Turn the Tables.

"I wonder if there is a 'Fengcheng' in the real world, and what the impact of this game on reality is."

After making his choice, Wen Xishu had an extremely unique experience.

His body began to move uncontrollably, automatically killing zombies.

During this process, Wen Xishu's movements became exceptionally stylish, like the protagonist of an action movie; he swept a group of zombies off their feet with a leg sweep, then continuously stabbed his dagger, precisely piercing the zombies' heads.

His movements were fast, ruthless, and aesthetically pleasing, relying on powerful, efficient, and silent kills—

Wen Xishu actually wiped out all the zombies in a short time without attracting any others.

This was very unreasonable. But everything just happened so naturally.

At the same time, Wen Xishu discovered that several drones had appeared outside the shattered floor-to-ceiling windows of the Golden Building.

They aimed at Wen Xishu and fired over a dozen arrows; Wen Xishu dodged and weaved, avoiding the vast majority of the arrows, but was still struck in the shoulder by one.

At this instant, Wen Xishu's vision began to blur.

"Damn! This game even has forced CG cutscenes."

From the moment his body lost control, Wen Xishu guessed—a scripted death/plot event was coming.

He had made his choice, triggering a certain plot CG. Those beautiful killing moves just now were all CG footage.

Generally speaking, after this CG performance finished playing, he would suddenly enter the next stage.

……

……

Woke up.

Wen Xishu hadn't guessed wrong.

When he opened his eyes, he had already appeared on the sixty-fourth floor of the Golden Building.

This was a very empty room. In the room, there was only a toilet, a bed, a mirror, and a chair; other than that, there were no other facilities in this room.

The walls of the room were incredibly clean and smooth, as if crafted from white jade.

"Sure enough, the forced plot got me captured. Great, now I've become a prisoner."

Although still a bit dazed, Wen Xishu had quickly figured out his situation.

After being hit by the drone, he had become a prisoner.

At the same time, all of Wen Xishu's scene items—the steel pipe, the dagger, the food in his backpack, the pistol bullets—had all disappeared.

He had been changed into a set of clean, white clothes that looked like a lab coat.

And what left Wen Xishu most speechless was—around his neck, he was wearing a mechanical collar.

When he looked in the mirror, a note appeared in Wen Xishu's eyes.

[Item Name: Obedient Zombie.]

[Item Description: If you are not obedient, you will—booooooom~]

Seeing this, Wen Xishu understood almost everything.

"Obedient zombie... but I'm not a zombie, and zombies can't be obedient."

"And the title of the first mission was 'Fight for Freedom.' I seem to understand now. The twisted tastes of the rich are truly terrifying."

Wen Xishu already knew what the Golden Building was actually for.

At this moment, the door to the room he was in suddenly opened.

"Hello, great warrior, welcome to the Golden Building; we are your makeup artists." The person speaking was a man in his early thirties, not tall, sporting a handlebar mustache, and also wearing a collar around his neck.

However, the other party's clothes were a normal suit, his expression carried a smile, and he had two female assistants behind him.

One of the female assistants was holding a suitcase containing many sets of clothes.

And another female assistant was holding a large makeup case.

Wen Xishu said very kindly:

"Please come in, you're here to make me up as a zombie, right? Welcome, welcome."

This attitude completely baffled the makeup artist.

Although he was also very friendly, that was because the boss demanded it, but the other party's reaction truly surprised him.

Among the many "zombies" in the Golden Building, the attitude of the one before him was the best.

Other people who were captured often became very manic at this time, sometimes even beating him, and immediately after, the captured person would be punished by the collar.

The collar can release an electric current, and it can also explode directly.

In short, generally speaking, newcomers will be shocked by the collar a few times before they behave. Even when they do behave, it doesn't hide that resentment.

To be honest, this is the first time the makeup artist has seen one like today's.

Wen Xishu had already sat down in the chair, sitting very upright.

"I noticed that your assistant brought a suitcase; I presume it contains clothes?"

"Can I choose my own clothing ensemble?"

"Of course, since I've already chosen my own clothing ensemble, then I must also be able to make up a story for myself, right?"

"You know, for us fake zombies, we have to have a bit of a gimmick."

Everything you're saying is the damn dialogue I was supposed to say...

The makeup artist remained bewildered; what is wrong with today's newcomer?

Generally speaking, the makeup artist will apply makeup to the person brought in and tell them that they can choose a set of clothing and make up a past for themselves.

For example, if you choose a police uniform, you can fabricate that you were once a police elite in some small town or something. The more legendary the story, the more people will place bets on you.

There are also those who choose a gold championship belt, making people think that before turning into a zombie, they were some professional fighting tournament champion or something.

The makeup artist stepped out and glanced at the door number. That's right... this room is for the newcomer, they didn't go into the wrong one.

But why does it feel like the "cricket" in the room has been here for a long time?

Wen Xishu, and even all NPCs in the same situation, are actually "crickets."

The act of cricket fighting isn't something that only existed in ancient times; even in Wen Xishu's past life, there were plenty of digital cricket fights, and the comment sections were often filled with people who couldn't handle losing, citing classics and arguing about unreasonable power levels.

Now, Wen Xishu is very clear that his situation is that of a "cricket."

He will be made up to look like a zombie and duel with real zombies to provide entertainment for those wealthy people.

Wen Xishu had also roughly guessed that once this mission is completed, he would be able to follow the trail and find the true reason for the zombie arrival from the mouths of the wealthy.

To be honest, he thinks it's quite interesting; he has seen living people and zombies put together to fight.

But deliberately dressing a living person as a zombie to duel with a zombie, this must be more than just formalism for the sake of a change in appearance.

Wen Xishu urged:

"Come in quickly, let's save time. Or does the procedure require me to resist first?"

"Also, I like a softer makeup; I hope the zombie look can add a bit of ferocity to me, but at the same time retain my handsomeness."

"I think someone as professional as you will surely have no problem with that, right?"

The makeup artist nodded, feeling a bit worried about this newcomer's mental state.

The cricket adapted too quickly, which instead made the one doing the makeup feel unadapted.

(End of chapter)